Wood fabric.



E. L. WALKER.

woon FABRIC.

APFLICATiON FILED AUG.27, 1917.

,265,841 Patented May 14, 1918.

AMMM/afa f w l. ,Wd/AW' ENOS L. "WALKER, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURE.

WOOD FABRIC.

raadsel.

Specification of Letters Patent.

raten-tea nay it, reis,

Application led August 27, 1917. Serial No. 188,3S1.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Enos L. "WALKER, a citizen of the 7United States, residing at city of St. Louis, State of Missouri, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in lV ood Fabric, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specication.

My invention relates toa new article of manufacture which may be properly termed a wood fabric inasmuch as it is made up of a mat which is woven from comparatively thin strips or splints of wood, said, mat being interposed between two or more layers of wood veneer. The principal object of my invention is to provide a comparatively simple `and inexpensive wood fabric which, by reason of the disposition of the material entering into its construction, will not split, warp, shrink or eXpand. By virtue of the fact that my improved wood fabric is coniparatively light and at the same time very strong and durable, it is particularly adapted for a lwide variety of uses, for instance, in

the manufacture of all forms of boxes, con-A tainers., packing and shipping cases, baskets,

and the like, and further, as sheathing or lining for buildings, cars and the like.

`With the foregoing and other objects in view, my invention consists in certain'novel features of construction hereinafter more fully described, claimed, and illustrated dn the accompanying drawing, in which,

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a section of the wood fabric contemplated by my vention, portions thereof being broken away in order to more clearly illustrate the arrangement of the members comprising said fabric. c

Fig. 2 is an enlarged cross sectional view taken approximately on the line 2 2 of' Fig. i.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged cross sectional view taken approximately on line 3--3 of Fig. l.

As illustrated in the accompanyin dra-W- ing, the central portion of the woo( fabric of my improved construction is made up of a mat, the same being composed of comparatively thin wooden strips or splints 10, the

same being formed so that the grain of the wood runs lengthwise and these strips or splintsy are preferably woven so that one sheets in flat condition.

series lies substantiallyat right angles to the other series. The edges of the strips or splints of one series may lie immediately ad# 'f jacent to each other, as illustrated in Fig'. 2, or said edges may be spaced a slight "distance,

apart, as illustrated in Fig. 3; and further, one series of strips or splints may be arranged .with their edges immediately ad? yjacent to each other, while the strips or" splints of the opposite series may he spaced a slight dist-ance apart, which latter arrangement is illustrated in Fig. l.

faces of the mat thus constructed arercolatedv.

with a suitable adhesive, such as glue,a'fter which comparatively thin sheets of wood 1veneer 1l are applied to the glued faces and after the glue has become thoroughly dry'y and set, the wood fabric is ready for use.

- ln the manufacture of my improved `fabric the glue may be applied to the mat inf any suitable manner, either with a brush or by passing the fabric between rollers which are supplied with glue or an adhesive from a suitable receptacle. To facilitate the drying and hardening of the adhesive, the linished sheets of material may be placed in a suitable drying room, and, if desired, a number of the sheetsmay be laid one on top of another while drying with a suitable weight on top of the pilel to maintain the individual lf desired, the strips l0 forming themat may be treated with a sizing or suitable wood filler before being woven into mat form or before the glue or adhesive is applied. Suiiicient glue' or adhsive'is used to practically fill the spaces and intcrstices between the adjacent edges of the strips l0 and also to fill the -small triangular spaces which are formed' at right angles to the direction of the grain of the wood in the opposite sheet. ln some instances, it may be found desirable to dis pense with the facing sheets of wood veneer and use in place thereof sheets of comparaf tively heavy and tough paper; or, if desired, a sheet of wood .veneer may be used as one facing sheet andra section' of paper as the other facin sheet.

Wood fa ric of my improved construcfrom Comparatiifely lign can oe very easily angl cheaply manniaemred, is eoinparaiirely lign@ sirong, snlisnntial and clurable finalv 'Inereore can lne a diMilaguonsly, usecl for mannaeinre 'of boxes ainl containersf partienlarly JLliose utilized i'or Shipping and storage purposes, :mil 'rl fabi-ie can likewise lie ellieiently and lconoinieallp' nsefl 'For sheathing and panels in ille sonelruellon el buildings. Bjr Vvirtue el ille flispee'slzion el the stripe and sliee'zs of material of' n'liiljzlimy improved fabric is formed: sai l i'alirie will nely splil), and like wise will noi Warp, elirinli, under almornial iariailione l claim:

l. j. a new ariirle of' inanufaelouej a auml i'aln'ir ',:oinporrl olif' a mal Woven from comparani\'e|1 lliin irwrlen sti-ini, nml a faremo wheel olif eemparalzirely thin material applied to one o1" the laces of sairl niat.

le a new article o manufacture, Ia Wood, lala-io composed of a mai` Woven from eonipara'ively lliin woorlen Strips, anal aeing' Sheets of comparatively iliinA material applied 'zo both faces of said mat.

f5. As a aewlartiele of manufacture, a wooden alorie composed olf a mais Woven tliin wooden Strips, the same being :arranged so that the grain of the wood in 'lre elrips m one-Series rune at right angles lo the grain oi' the wood in ille Strips l. ille allier arries, and aeing slieete olii eemo' temperature.

-oi'i'lie other 5eries, and

or expand even Lawaai naratirely eliin material secured io )llxe faces oil sanl mat.

Ll. la a new article of manufacture, a

Wooden 'fabric eomposed 'of anual: Woven the 'from comparatively thin' woodenslripe, saine being arranged so that Clie grain el ille Wooll in the strips of one runs ai; right angles to the grain of the wood in the Strips facing slieele ol wood veneer secured to the 'faces oi' saicl inar', Saal sheets of wood veneer being arranged So 'lliat llie grain of tlie Woofl oi' one sheet` disposed substantially at riglit an-` glee to the lgrain of tlxe wood of the ollier sheet.

a new article o'l i'naiiuacture, a woonl fabric composed ola mat woven roni eoniparaiireljr liin srips of wood, a sheet of comparatively lthin material applied to one of tlie faces oil said mat, and a elieet of wood veneer applied o *die oilier face el' said G. ils a nenv article of manufacture, a Wood falli-ic compiieing a niat Woven'ifrona coniparalireljv ing sheets mi wood veneer applied to both faces of said' mail and permanentliY Secured llierelo by a snialxle adhesive.

liin stripe' of wood, and aoln testimony whereof hereunto afiix niy signature tliie Qili .clay of August, 191.?, 

